Tag Archives: ultrasonography
Gastropathy caused by hypoadrenocorticism in dogs
I guess we know that hypoadrenocorticism (both ‘typical’ and ‘atypical’) is associated with gastrointestinal signs including ulceration. I’ve not managed to find a completely convincing pathophysiological explanation of the mechanism for this. However, I just wanted to share a couple of sonographic images of the stomach wall in addisonian dogs. They can be really striking. … Continue reading
Gabapentin as a sedative/anxiolytic prior to ultrasonography in cats
Gabepentin is an enormously useful drug to facilitate ultrasonography in cats. I’m sure most of you are aware of this by now but it’s worth publicising a little more because, to get best effect, the use of gabapentin needs to be planned in advance of the day of scanning. J Am Vet Med Assoc. … Continue reading
SOFA vs SIRS and sonographic features of septic shock in dogs
In human medicine concepts in sepsis have evolved. SIRS: In 2016, a new consensus termed Sepsis-3 removed the concept of SIRS from the sepsis definition and replaced it with the SOFA (Sequential [Sepsis-Related] Organ Failure Assessment) score. The Third International Consensus Definitions for Sepsis and Septic Shock (Sepsis-3). JAMA. 2016; 315(8):801-10 (ISSN: 1538-3598) Singer M; … Continue reading
Ultrasound in the diagnosis of acute enterocolitis in dogs and cats
Almost the most frequent presenting problem we see in our sonography practice is canine acute abdomen. And perhaps, more specifically, acute vomiting which fails to resolve within a couple of days supportive care. The bottom line for these is ‘does this dog need surgery or will it resolve with supportive care’. If you can see … Continue reading
More on cystic lymphadenopathy associated with pancreatitis in dogs
A while ago I wrote a post reporting cases of dogs with a history of pancreatitis who have multiple apparently cystic lesions within their hepatic and pancreatic lymph nodes. Cavitated hepatic lymph nodes associated with previous pancreatitis in dogs Obviously association is not necessarily causation. However, my impression is that the association is strong … Continue reading
Normal bile acid stimulation test results in two dogs with (presumed congenital) extra-hepatic portosystemic shunts
Although this may not be a big surprise I can’t find any published accounts specifically documenting this phenomenon. The first case involves a 5 year-old MN Shih-tsu presented on account of haematuria. There was no history of preceding signs suggesting hepatic encephalopathy. No urinary abnormalities were identified on abdominal ultrasound. However, an extra-hepatic shunt vessel … Continue reading
Unexpected causes of acute abdominal pain in dogs part I: hypoadrenocorticism
This is poor Paddy: presented with several day hunched attitude, apparent abdominal pain, stiff gait, unwilling to move. His routine haematology and biochemistry are pretty unremarkable. Same goes for thoracic and abdominal ultrasound except that his left adrenal is only 2.5mm wide at maximum. And his heart is looking a little … Continue reading
Ultrasonographic features of acute canine lung lobe torsion
It’s been a while since I’ve had a chance to scan a lung lobe torsion case: since when my machine got upgraded. This patient is a young Whippet with a 24 hour history of acute-onset cough, tachypnoea and pleural effusion (modified transudate). Her echocardiogram is interesting. Although we have to take into account the fact … Continue reading
Grass seed foreign bodies: sonography and ultrasound-guided retrieval
Grass seed (and other vegetation) foreign bodies are a potential nightmare. We all know this. Sadly, it seems that neither CT nor MRI are reliable modalities for locating them in our patients. Obviously there may be clues from advanced imaging findings but actual visualisation of the foreign body itself isn’t consistent. In a series of … Continue reading
